New Ulm weekly review., 1887-12-07
Great Men Begin Early.
BY EDWARD PIERREPoNr.

who has not set his ambitious foot
upon 'the ladder leaning on q cloud,
before he is 25, will never ascend it.
Look back 800 years and more, and
you shall not find a single instance OF
a man ilusJrious in great affairs, who
did not early begin his great career.
Gustavus Adolphus assembled the
throne Of Sweden at 16; before he was
81 he was one OF the great rulers OF
Europe. Condeconducted q memora-
BILE campaign at II, and at %, he, and
Turkenne also, We're Of the most illus
trious men Of their time. Maurice ol
Saxony died at 80, conceded to have
been one of the profoundest states
men and one of the ablest
generals which Chr1stendom had
seen. The great Leo x. was Pope att
38; having finished his academic
training he took the Office Of cardinal
at 25-only twelve months younger
than was Charles James Fox when he
entered Parliament. Martin Luther
had become largely distinguished at
24 and at 36 had reached the top
most round OF his worldwide fame.
OfNapoeon it is superfuous to say
4 that at 25 he commanded the army
Of Italy. At 80 he was not only one
ofquhe most illustr1ous generals of all
time, but ons Of the great laW.givers
of the world. At 4G hesaw Waterloo.
Wellington, be it remembered, was
born the same year. From the earliest
years OF Queen Eiizebeth to the latest
of Queen Victoria, England has
had scarce an able Statesman who
did not leaYe the university by
the time he was twenty, and
Lord Bacon graduated atsCambridge
When sixteen, and was called to the
bar at twenty-one. The great Crom-
we'll, by all measures the ablest ruler
that Eng and ever had, left the Uni
yersity OF Cambridge at eighteen, was
a student at law in London at twen-
ty. jean Hampden, after graduating
at Oxford, was a student at law in
the Inner Temple at nineteen. Will
lam Pitt entered the university at
fourteen, was Chancellor of the Ex-
7. chequer at twentyfour. and 50 con-
tinued for twenty years, and when
twenty-five he was the most powerful
q uncrowned head in Europe, and like
gEllis great father, Lord Chatham, he
was charged with .'the atrocious
81 crime OF being a. young
man." Charles James Fox was in
Parliament at nineteen. Peel was in
4 Parliament at twenty one and Pal
merston was Lord OF Admiralty at
twentythree. Gladstone was in Par
Y lament at twenty.one, and at twen-
tv-four was Lord OF the Treasury.
John Bright. one of the ablest states
men of England, never was at any
school a day after he was fifteen years
old. The late Lord Beasonsfeld left
the cloister and entered the. great
world early-as did John Bright
and commenced his political career by
writing g. book at 10, ii, which he pre-
d1cted that he would be Prime Minis
ter. s
Washington was distinguished as q
colonel in the army at 90, command.
er of the forces at 43, and
president at 81. Webster was
in college at Is, gave earn
est Of his future before he was 25, and
at 80 was the peer of the sblest man
in Congress. Henry Clay Was in the
Senate OF the United States at 20;
contrary to the constitution. Will
lam II. Seward commenced the prac-
tice of law at 81; at27 was president
of a state convention, and at 81 gov
ernor of the great, State of New York.
John Quincy Adams, at the age OF IA,
was secretary to Mr.. Dana. then
minister at the Russian Court; at 80
he was himself Minister to Prussia; at
y 35 he was Minister to Russia; at As
he was Minister TO England; at SO he
was secretary of state, and presi.
dent at 81. General Grant
was but 80 wears old when he
gained his victory at Folt Donelson,
and only Al when he took Vioksburg.
Jonathan Edwards acquired early re.
nown as the greatest .f,etaphysician
in Anaeri "a, and as unsurpassed by
any one IN Europe. He commenced
the reading of Latin when years old.
Alto be wrote a remarkable paper
upon the imnlort alty OF the soul. At
the age of l3 he entered Yale College,
where he graduated tour years later.
Before be WAS AZ he had completely
reasoned out his great doctrine con.
corning the freedom of the will. Before
he was g Recommended preaching at
one Q: the first churches OF the city ol
New York. At "a he was installed
over the church in Northampton.
From Leo *. down to General Grant
and Prince Bismarck there is rot one
name OF large renown in war, church,
or state whose career of greatness did
not conspicuousIy begin an very early
manhood, Goethe was 60 marvel ;oi
precocity. When but six years ar1d
two months old the TERRIBLE earth
quake which destroyed Lisbon occur-
red, and he amazed the people OF mis-
native town by his discoarse upon
the event as against the goodness Cd
Providence. Before he was zine years